ut man must have rest, be the sun high or sunk beneath the horizon: so
that Hund saw no face, and heard no human voice, before he found himself
standing at the top of the steep rocky pathway, which led down to
Erlingsen's abode.

Hund might have known that he should find everything in a different
state from that in which he had left the place; but yet he was rather
surprised at the aspect of the farm. The stable-doors stood wide; and
there was no trace of milk-pails. The hurdles of the fold were piled
upon one another in a corner of the yard. It was plain that herd,
flock, and dairy-women were gone to the mountain: and, though Hund
dreaded meeting Erica, it struck upon his heart, to think that she was
not here. He felt now how much it was for her sake that he had come
back.

He half resolved to go away again: but from the gallery of the house
some snow-white sheets were hanging to dry; and this showed that some
neat and busy female hands were still here. Next, his eye fell upon the
boat which lay gently rocking with the receding tide in its tiny cove;
and he resolved to lie down in it and rest, while considering what to do
next. He went down, stepping gently over the pebbles of the beach, lest
his tread should reach and waken any ear through the open windows, lay
down at the bottom of the boat, and, as might have been expected, fell
asleep as readily as an infant in a cradle.

Of course he was discovered; and, of course, Oddo was the discoverer.
Oddo was the first to come forth, to water the one horse that remained
at the farm, and to give a turn and a shake to the two or three little
cocks of hay which had been mown behind the house. His quick eye noted
the deep marks of a man's feet in the sand and pebbles, below high-water
mark, proving that some one had been on the premises during the night.
He followed these marks to the boat, where he was amazed to find the
enemy (as he called Hund) fast asleep. Oddo was in a great hurry to
tell his grandfather (Erlingsen being on the mountain); but he thought
it only proper caution to secure his prize from escaping in his absence.

He summoned his companion, the dog which had warned him of many dangers
abroad, and helped him faithfully with his work at home; and nothing
could be clearer to Skorro than that he was to crouch on the thwarts of
the boat, with his nose close to Hund's face, and not to let Hund stir
till Oddo came back. Then Oddo ran, and wakened his grandf